Magistrate calls boys who desecrated cathedral 'absolute scum'

A magistrate who branded two boys "absolute scum" after they desecrated a
cathedral faces disciplinary action.

9:42AM BST 14 May 2010

Austin Molloy, chairman of the bench at Blackburn Magistrates' Court, was criticised by the clerk of the court who stood up and objected to his comments.

The mother of one of the boys said she would be making an official complaint.

The 16-year-old boys wrote racist and sexually abusive graffiti in prayer books at Blackburn Cathedral and bent a priceless John The Baptist cross out of shape causing £3,000 damage. Pages were also torn out of the prayer books.

They were caught after they wrote their names in the visitors book.

Boy A was given an 18-month supervision order and a £1,500 fine after pleading guilty to damaging the cross at a hearing last month. Boy B was given a 12-month supervision order and a £100 fine after pleading guilty to defacing and damaging the books.